memory_alphafandomcom-20200223-history
Where No One Has Gone Before (episode)
When a specialist in propulsion makes modifications to the Enterprise-D's warp drive that send it a 2.7 million light years out of the galaxy, it is his assistant, a mysterious alien, and Wesley Crusher that must bring them back home. Summary The ''Enterprise''-D has met the in order to take on a Starfleet propulsion specialist who will perform an upgrade on the warp drive. He has already performed the upgrade on the Fearless, as well as the ''Ajax''. Both these ships reported an increase in engine efficiency. Riker, however, is not convinced. He and Data have run a controlled test of the formulae that the engineer, Kosinski, has sent over, and found them to have no effect. Picard reasons that there's no harm in letting him come over and attempt the upgrade. Riker is still skeptical, so Picard sends him to meet Kosinski when he beams aboard, along with his assistant. Riker, Troi and Chief Engineer Argyle go to meet him in the transporter room. Kosinski is pompous and arrogant. He asks why the captain isn't there to meet him and demands to be taken to engineering. As he leaves, Troi comments to Riker that Kosinski is as he appears – loud and arrogant – but she can sense nothing from his assistant, not even his presence. In engineering, Riker questions Kosinski about what he is going to do and asks him to explain his formulae. At first Kosinski resists, but eventually agrees to explain himself to Riker and Argyle. Meanwhile Wesley, who is also in engineering, watches the assistant enter the formulae on a screen and suggests various changes to the inputs. When Kosinski is ready, Picard orders the Enterprise to warp 1.5. As the ship accelerates, both Kosinski and his assistant enter various information. Suddenly Kosinski shouts at the assistant, who has made an error. The Enterprise puts in a massive burst of speed. The assistant grabs his console and starts to "phase" in and out of view, noticed only by Wesley. On the bridge, La Forge tells the captain they are passing warp 10, and Data later says that their velocity is off the scale. Picard orders a full stop, and the Enterprise drops out of warp. When asks for the ship's position, La Forge replies incredulously that they have traveled 2,700,000 light years. They are now in the M-33 Galaxy, and at maximum warp it will take them over 300 years to get home. Kosinski, Riker and Argyle arrive on the bridge. Picard asks them what happened and Kosinski replies that he made "a mistake, a wonderful mistake". He is highly excited, claiming he has broken the warp barrier and that his name will go down in history. Down in engineering, Wesley is talking to the assistant. He realizes that the assistant has been performing the "upgrades" all along, and that Kosinski is just a joke. The assistant tells him he means no harm to the ship or the crew – he made a mistake. He is exhausted now, and Wes offers to get his mother, but the assistant declines. Wes then says that from looking at the warp equations he thinks time and space and thought are all one thing. This surprises the assistant, who tells him never to say such a thing again "in a world that's not ready for it." Picard orders Kosinski to bring them home, and they return to engineering. Wes tries to tell Riker about the assistant, but he won't listen. Kosinski sets up to return them home, and as they input the equations, it becomes obvious to Kosinski that it is not working. Then Riker sees the assistant as he starts to "phase" again and then collapse across the console. On the viewscreen, they are at an unknown area where galaxies and nebulae and other phenomena whiz past at high speed. Picard orders full stop. The Enterprise is now 1 billion light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. Outside the ship, clouds of cosmic dust and energy beings swim in a never-ending blue abyss. Data concludes that they must be at the edge of the known universe. Worf is at his station when he suddenly sees a targ in front of him, his childhood pet. In frustration, Picard leaves for engineering. When the turbolift doors open, Picard almost steps out into space before throwing himself back inside. The doors open again and he goes into a corridor. He meets two crewmen running from some unseen pursuer. Yar also sees it but it disappears just as quickly. Then she sees her pet cat and is back on the colony where she grew up, trying to avoid a rape gang. La Forge touches her and she snaps out of it. Picard sees an ensign in a cargo bay dancing ballet. Then he sees his dead mother, and starts to talk to her before he is interrupted by Riker. When he looks back, she's gone. They manage to get to engineering where Crusher is examining the now unconscious assistant. Riker informs Picard that it was the assistant all the time, not Kosinski. Picard orders general quarters and tells the crew that they are in a region of space where thoughts become reality, and that they must try to subdue their thoughts. The assistant is brought to sickbay where Picard tells Crusher to wake him. They must leave this place before their own thoughts cause the ship to be destroyed. The assistant wakes and tells Picard that he is a Traveler from another plane of existence. He is traveling through their galaxy, observing them, using his knowledge of propulsion to get passage on Starfleet ships. Kosinski is just his cover. He meant no harm to the Enterprise. He tells them Humans shouldn't be here for a long time, until they have learned to control their thoughts. Picard asks him if he can get them home. He tells him he will try. He then asks for a private word with Picard. The others leave and the Traveler tells Picard that Wesley is the reason that he travels. He compares him to Mozart, only instead of music, Wes has, or will have, the ability to manipulate time, space and thought. He urges Picard to encourage Wes, but not to tell him or Beverly any of this. The Traveler returns to engineering and Picard makes an announcement, telling everyone to concentrate on home and on the Traveler's well being. They follow the same procedure as before: the ship jumps to warp 1.5 and the Traveler uses his powers to attempt to send them back. He starts to "phase" as before and the ship hurtles through space. Then the Traveler disappears altogether and the Enterprise finds itself back where it started. Mindful of the Traveler's advice, Picard calls Wesley to the bridge and thanks him for his part in their successful return. He then makes him an acting ensign, "for conduct in the true spirit and traditions of Starfleet." He instructs Riker to make out a duty roster for him and tells him to learn the ship and its operations from top to bottom. Then Wesley takes his place on the bridge as the Enterprise resumes course. Log Entries * [[Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364#Propulsion Upgrades|Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364]] Memorable Quotes "Where is this place?" "Where none have gone before, sir." : - Picard and Data "While we are here, should we not investigate?" "Spoken like a ''true Starfleet Academy graduate. It is tempting, eh, Number One?" : - '''Data' and Picard Background Information * Wesley Crusher is given a field promotion to acting ensign in this episode. * This episode marks the debut of Rob Bowman as a Trek director. He later went on to direct twelve more episodes of The Next Generation. Daniel Petrie was originally hired to direct the episode, but quit when he was approached to direct the film Cocoon: The Return. * This story borrows many concepts from the Pocket TOS novel The Wounded Sky, also written by one of this episode's writers - Diane Duane. * Footage of the traveling next to the USS Enterprise-D was previously seen in (sans Deneb IV in the background), where the vessel represented the . * Only the left hand of the unnamed transporter chief on duty in personnel transporter room 3, who informs the bridge at the beginning of the episode that Kosinski and the Traveler are ready to beam aboard, is seen. The voice actor is not identified. * Worf's targ is played here by a Russian wild boar named Emmy-Lou. * The violin quartet played in this episode is Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik (aka "A Little Night Music"). * When the illusory violin quartet disappears, the crewman is sitting at a table with a small bottle and a glass on a tray. Both were originally created for , the bottle features the Federation logo of that time. * When Picard meets his mother, there is also an unidentified recurring (until episode 17 ) melody. * During Picard's speech towards the end of the episode, a crewmember is seen looking at an LCARS interface with directions to Holodeck 4J. This is the same graphic that was seen in when Commander William T. Riker was looking for the holodeck. * The master systems display (nicknamed the "pool table") in main engineering was used for the first time in this episode. However, as was broadcast before this episode, though produced later, the table is first seen in that episode. Main engineering also features many chairs and benches never seen again. * The two vertical light panels flanking the wall mounted master systems display in main engineering are illuminated yellow, an effect only seen in this episode. * For the last time until a corridor leading to main engineering, which is located directly behind the office, is seen. Normally, that opening is closed by a fake wall with LCARS interfaces, which is only removed, when main engineering is redressed as a corridor lounge. * Upon arrival at M-33, it is mentioned that a return trip to the Federation, using normal warp drive, would take three hundred years. The time given is the same as that of the Kelvan's trip in from the Andromeda Galaxy. * This episode may have been the inspiration for Star Trek: Voyager. It seems to borrow its premise by including a mysterious alien sending a starship far from Earth, except that the Enterprise returned fairly quickly while Voyager spent its entire series returning home. Awards * This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing in a Drama Series. Video and DVD releases * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 3, . * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.2, . * As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection. Links and References Guest Stars *Stanley Kamel as Kosinski *Eric Menyuk as The Traveler *Herta Ware as Yvette Picard *Biff Yeager as Argyle *Charles Dayton as a crewmember *Victoria Dillard as the ballerina ensign Co-Starring *Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings (uncredited) *Dexter Clay as a security officer (uncredited) *Tim McCormack as Bennett (uncredited) *Jeffrey Deacon as male crewmember (uncredited) *James G. Becker as Ensign Youngblood (uncredited) *Nora Leonhardt as female crewmember (uncredited) *Dennis Madalone as Science division crewman (uncredited) *unknown as crewman with violin (uncredited) *unknown as crewman in skant (uncredited) References 2064; 2415; acting ensign; ''Ajax'', USS; ballet; Bessel functions; cat; ''Fearless'', USS; galaxy; Gessard, Yvette; intermix formulae; Klingon; Kosinski scale; M-33 Galaxy; Milky Way Galaxy; Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus; music; phase; protostar; rape gang; science vessel; targ; Tau Alpha C; Tau Alpha C system; Transporter Room 3; The Traveler; Travelers; Turkana IV; universe; "warp barrier"; warp drive; warp engine; warp field Other references Holodeck 4J; subspace field compensator; target acquisition |next= }} Category:TNG episodes de:Der Reisende (Episode) es:Where No One Has Gone Before fr:Where No One Has Gone Before nl:Where No One Has Gone Before